Chapter 53 — Protecting You From Me
1376 Words
“Let me see…” Henry murmured, shifting closer.
I raised my head higher, giving him better access.
His brows knitted tightly, lips pursed in concentration.
He began his not-so-gentle ministrations.
“Ouch.” I whined, pulling away subtly.
“Stay still.” Henry grunted.
Fucking asshole.
He wasn't raising his voice, neither was his anger visible—but… the way he handled my wounds was a whole different story.
“Christ, don't you know it f*****g hurts.”
“Oh it does…” Henry echoed innocently, dropping his hands.
I scowled.
“I wasn't aware you could feel pain, seeing as you were in a fight only moments ago without any inkling of the fact that wounds equals pain.”
My scowl deepened.
“She hit me first—”
“Why were you even there in the first place?” Henry cut in sharply.
I huffed.
“Answer me, Rosie.”
“Because she was planning to seduce you.”
“And what is it to you if she was?”
I pursed my lips, glaring at him.
“Humor me, what were you exactly coming there to do? Like what was your aim of being there?”
And that was exactly why I hated him.
I got up, headed for my room.
“I don't have to explain myself to you—”
“Oh, but you do!” He shot back, trailing after me.
I turned back, facing him.
“Well, maybe I was trying to make sure her plans of seducing you failed—”
“I'm not a f*****g kid, Rosie. If I was going to take up Miss Nelson's invitation, I would have and there was nothing you were going to do about that.”
My fingers fisted by my sides.
I knew he was right… I bloody well knew he was.
But having him say it to my face…
“So you want to f**k her?”
“Christ…” he mumbled, turning away from me with a shake of his head.
“I'm right, aren't I?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, with a hand on his waist.
“You're suddenly mute, Henry.” I mocked, stepping closer to him.
“Forget it, can't believe I'm even having this conversation with a kid,” he murmured, walking away.
I scoffed loudly.
“Go on then, run away!” I yelled after his retreating form.
“It's always like you to run away, isn't it?”
He paused, then turned around.
“You keep accusing me of running away when all I'm doing is protecting you, Rosie.”
“Protecting me from what—”
“From me!” He shot back. “I'm protecting you from me, Rosie.”
I snapped my gaze away as tears blurred my vision.
“From your choices, cause all they'll do is ruin you.” He panted, stepping closer.
I swallowed.
Suddenly, the distance between us felt too small.
His jaw tightened.
For a moment, it looked as though he wanted to say more.
Or leave.
Or maybe do both.
Fingers curled under my chin, turning my gaze to his.
“I'm protecting you from me, Rosie.” He murmured, pressing himself flush against my body.
My lips parted, and his gaze dropped briefly before returning to mine.
“Cause all I want to do… is ruin you.”
With that, his lips slammed against mine.
My mouth parted wider, allowing him access.
My fingers trailed up his body, fisting in his hair while his hands wound around my waist.
And just like a few days ago—
It was hungry.
Needy.
His hands left my waist and trailed higher, gripping my breast.
I moaned.
Suddenly—
He pulled back.
And almost instantly the cold began to seep in.
“Fuck.” Henry muttered, pushing strands of hair back as they fell forward.
“Henry…” I called, stepping forward.
“Please, Rosie. Just…” Henry drawled, pacing the living room.
“I shouldn't have indulged in you in the first place…” Henry murmured to himself. “I'm the adult here. I should've known better…”
I pursed my lips, staring at him.
“What were you thinking, Henry?” he hissed, rubbing his palm over his face.
I walked closer, noticing he didn't seem to notice my presence.
“How the f**k are you going to solve this—”
I kissed his cheek.
He stilled.
Completely.
Like he'd been robbed of breath.
Slowly, I pulled back.
His eyes found mine.
And for a moment…
I couldn't tell whether he wanted to pull me closer or run.
“I'll be in my room,” I said softly, before walking away.
I didn't stop.
I didn't turn around to see his reaction either.
I just made my way up the stairs, pulled my door open and walked in.
Once in, I shut the door behind me—then leaned on it.
“Get some rest, Rosie,” I mumbled, making my way to bed.
As soon as my body hit the soft fabric…
Sleep took me.
……..
“Bzz…”
“Bzzz…”
“Bzz…”
I groaned, peeling my eyes open to the vibration of my phone.
I grabbed it, stared at the caller ID with groggy eyes.
Unknown.
I frowned, and tapped the accept button.
“Hello.”
“Is this Rosie Alphonse?”
I sat up, frown deepening at the vaguely familiar voice.
“Yes, who's this please?”
“This is Belinda White.”
Ahh crap.
“Hi… Mrs White—”
“It's Miss White,”
Of course.
“And hi to you too, I've been trying to reach you for a while now without success.”
“Really?”
“Yes… it keeps saying line busy anytime I call,”
That's because I blocked you, i***t.
“Anyway… can you send Henry's number over—or better yet, call it while I write it down.”
“Alright, Miss White.”
“Hold on a minute, let me grab a book and pen.”
I heard shuffling from the other side for a brief moment.
“Alright, you may begin.”
“707—”
“Hm…”
“888—”
“Okay…”
I turned on airplane mode.
A low chime sounded through the line.
“Sorry, what was that?”
“707—”
“Rosie? You're breaking up.”
“Am I? Hello? Miss White? Can you hear me?”
“Barely. Just repeat the number.”
“Hello?”
“Rosie?”
“Hello?”
The chime sounded again.
Then I pulled the phone away from my ear and tapped on the end button.
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Then blocked the number.
“Problem solved.”
I fell back on my bed with a groan.
“What's the point, Rosie? You can't keep doing this all the time like he belongs to you or something.” I mumbled to myself.
A low knock on the door pulled me out of my soliloquizing.
“f*****g great.” I muttered dryly.
The knock came again.
“Christ.” I hissed.
“Rosie.” Henry called.
“Coming.”
I dragged myself off the bed and pulled the door open.
Henry stood there.
Phone in hand, with a sympathetic look in his eyes.
“Your mother wants to speak to you.”
I frowned.
“Why didn't she call me herself?”
"She did, actually."
My stomach sank.
I rushed back to my bed and grabbed my phone.
I clicked on the contact icon, eyes widening in mortification as twenty-three missed calls from mum stared at me.
Shit.
“Did you find her, Henry?” Mum's voice floated into my ears.
I snapped my eyes shut, clutching my phone to my chest.
Henry walked further into the room then handed his phone to me.
“She's here, Denise.”
I opened my eyes, shooting him a glare, but I took the phone from him anyway.
“Good luck.” Henry murmured.
I scowled, then pressed the phone against my ear.
“Hey, mum—”
“Don't you dare, Mum me Rosie.”
Ah.
I'm dead.
- Writer
